Daily London
The Swiss tourist who tried to fend off a shark that fatally attacked his girlfriend on a beach on the NSW Mid North Coast has been identified.
Lucas Schindler, 26, and Olivia Mulheim, 25, were at Kylies Beach south of Port Macquarie when the attack happened.
Lukas is a marathon runner who crossed the finish line of the Sydney Marathon in August.
The 26-year-old may struggle to walk again after being bitten in the leg by the bull shark he tried to fend off.
The couple entered the water yesterday at dawn to film a pod of dolphins as they neared the end of their holiday.
“Everyone was talking about it yesterday, it’s just terrible,” a resident told 9News.
“My child was camping out here last week, swimming. I just couldn’t imagine how everyone’s feeling.”
“So he’s in a whole world of hurt, obviously not just from his injury, but, you know, emotionally he’s going to be really struggling,” shark attack survivor David Pearson said.
Pearson has been a member of a group helping people overcome the challenges following a shark attack.
”We’re here to try and help people understand life after an attack, because it’s not an easy journey.”
The beaches around Crowdy Bay were closed today and could remain that way over the weekend.
Investigations into finding the shark responsible for the attack continue as Fisheries NSW has deployed half a dozen drum lines across the beach.
Surf Life Saving is deploying drones and scanning for any sharks.
Since the attack, no sharks have been spotted in the area.
